While the government has selectively helped other airlines in the past, I believe this would be the first time that the American people would gain such a large equity stake in an airline after giving it a lifeline. Leaving aside the questions of helping one ailing carrier and not all of them, how does the government (FAA, Commerce, EPA, etc.) oversee an entity that it owns? The conflict of interest is mind blowing. I know some will use the example of Chrysler back in the day but while the auto industry is pretty regulated, that amount of regulation pales in comparison to the airline industry. Just consider management positions. Director of Operations and such. The FAA has very strict experience requirements to hold those post and also has the right to reject candidates that it feels are not qualified. What about the financial fitness reports that are required by law. Can a government owned airline ever be found unfit? How is that not a competitive advantage? How does the government not take its stake into account when making those decisions? There are so many landmines here that not even a mouse could make it through.